Striker



NOV. 7, 1939. RHEIN 2.178.919

- STRIKER Filed May 26, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Lloyd 11.1m

ATTORNEYS Nov. 7, 1939.

L. R. RH'EIN STRIKER Filed May 26, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 7.

Fig. 8.

INVENTOR. L 1 0 d K Rhein 4 yaw;

ATTORNEY. S

Patented Nov. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES STRIKER Lloyd R. Rhein, Pleasant Ridge, Mich, assignor to Ternstedt Manufacturing Company, Detroit,

Mich, a corporation Application May 26,

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a striker for an automobile door latch bolt having a safety catch.

It is the objectof this invention to produce a striker plate having a reciprocable safety catch which is simple in structure and therefore cheaper to. manufacture than those heretofore known.

Astriker plate with a reciprocating safety catch is not broadly new, see the British patent to Kaye, No. 10.522 of May 29, 1893. The Kaye type of reciprocable safety catch reciprocates at right angles to the face of the door jamb, that is, substantially in the plane of reciprocation of the latch bolt. The Kaye type of safety catch is unsatisfactory because it requires that the door jamb be recessed to accommodate the safety catch.

It is an object of this invention to obviate this disadvantage. This is accomplished by housing the safety catch for reciprocation entirely within the striker plate.

It is also an object of this invention to produce a striker with a reciprocable safety catch which operates more easily than the Kaye type of safety catch. This object is achieved by housing the safety catch for reciprocation within the striker plate at an acute angle to the face of the door jamb.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the striker plate with a dotted line showing of the door jamb to which the striker plate is secured and of the door fully closed and latched.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the striker plate along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3, 5, 6 and 7 are sections along the lines 3--3, 5--5, 6-6 and 'i'i of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the safety catch fully retracted by the latch bolt.

Fig. 8 is an elevation of the striker showing the base face.

Fig. 9 is a detail of the safety catch.

Fig. 10 is a detail of the back plate.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a striker plate i which is preferably a die-casting."

The striker plate I is provided with the inclined outer face 2 up which the latch bolt 3 rides in the closing of the door. The striker is secured to the jamb face 8 of the body pillar 4 by the bolts 5 which pass through the openings 9 in the striker.

As shown in Fig. 1 the latch bolt 3, which is the conventional spring projected sliding bolt, is carried by the door 6 and engages behind the shoulder 1 of the striker I when the door is closed.

The striker l is provided with a safety catch of Michigan 1938, Serial No. 210,260

in the form of a plunger ill. may be made from any suitable material such as steel. The plunger I0 is slidably mounted and guided for rectilinearly reciprocating movement in the opening H in the striker I. Since the plunger it as well as the opening ii are square in cross section, the plunger reciprocates in the opening it without turning. The opening ii is positioned at an acute angle to the jamb face 8 of the door. In other words, the longitudinal axis of the opening l I makes an acute angle with the base face l2 of the striker. The base face ill of the die-cast plate l is recessed as at 2! to save metal and is serrated as at 22 for better securement to the door jamb. The plunger i0 is backed up by the coil spring it, one end of which is seated in the opening it in the plunger 10 and the other end of which fits over the lug l5 of the plate i t. The plate i6 is secured by the rivets ii to the back face of the striker and retains the coil spring l3 and plunger it within the opening ll of the striker. Rivets l? are cast as an integral part of the plate I.

From the above it will be seen that the striker l serves as a complete housing for the plunger safety catch it which reciprocates entirely within the striker housing. Therefore when the striker is assembled to the jamb face of the door there is no need for cutting into or recessing the door jamb to accommodate the plunger Ill. Further it will be seen that since the plunger reciprocates in the opening H, which makes an acute angle with the jamb face of the body pillar, that the latch bolt 3 in the closing of the door exerts the major component of its force directly along the longitudinal axis of the coil spring lilwhich facilitates door closing.

The striker l is provided with a shoulder l8 which serves as a stop for retaining the plunger It within the opening I I and for limiting its projection beyond the inclined face 2 of the striker.

v The plunger Hi is provided with an inclined face is and a notch 26 for interengagement with the bolt 3.

In the closing of the door the latch bolt 3, as indicated in Fig. 4, is retracted by riding up the inclined face 2 of the striker. As the latch bolt reaches the safety catch 19, the safety catch is retracted or forced back in its opening H by the bolt to the position shown in Fig. 4 until the bolt rides by the safety catch whereupon the safety catch is projected by the spring l3 and interengages the bolt as shown in Fig. 3.

In the opening of the door the bolt 3, of course,

The plunger Ill is retracted sufiiciently far-so" that it clears the projected safety catch I0.

I claim:

1. A striker for a latch bolt comprising a plate having a base face and a face at an acute angle thereto along which the bolt rides in the closing of the door, and a safety catch in the form of a plunger mounted for reciprocation within the striker with its axis positioned at an acute angle to said base face and with the inner end of the plunger disposed toward the closing direction of the door, said safety catch when fully projected extending beyond the bolt contacting face of the striker in the pathway of the latch bolt whereby in the closing of the door the latch bolt rides over and depresses the plunger until the bolt clears the plunger whereupon the plunger is free to project behind and interengage the bolt.

2. A striker for a latch bolt comprising a plate having a base face and a face along which the ing in the said plate positioned at an acute angle to the base face of the plate, the said spring projected plunger being mounted for reciprocation within the said opening, and a stop for limiting the projection of the plunger beyond the bolt contacting face of the striker, the said plunger when fully projected extending beyond the face of the striker in the pathway of the bolt whereby in the closing of the door the major component of the force of the latch bolt is exerted along the path of travel of the plunger to depress the same until the bolt clears the plunger whereupon the plunger is projected behind and is free to interengage the bolt.

3. A striker for a latch bolt comprising a plate having a base face and a face at an acute angle thereto along which the bolt rides in the closing of the door, a safety catch in the form of a plunger, a spring for projecting the said plunger, an opening extending inwardly from the bolt contacting face of the striker with its axis positioned at an acute angle to the base face of the striker and with the inner end of the opening disposed toward the closing direction of the door and serving as a rectilinear guideway for the plunger, and means for retaining the plunger and spring within the said inclined opening, said safety catch when fully projected extending beyond the bolt contacting face of the striker in the pathway of the latch bolt whereby in the closing of the door the latch bolt rides over and depresses the plunger until the bolt clears the plunger whereupon the plunger is free to project behind and interengage the bolt.

4. A striker for a latch bolt comprising a plate having a base face and a face at an acute angle thereto along which the bolt rides in the closing of the door, a safety catch in the form of a plunger, a spring for projecting the said plunger, an opening extending inwardly from the bolt contacting face of the striker with its axis positioned at an acute angle to the base face of the striker and with the inner end of the opening disposed toward the closing direction of the door and serving as a rectilinear guideway for the plunger, and a plate secured to the back face of the striker for retaining the plunger and spring within the said inclined opening, said safety catch when fully projected extending beyond the bolt contacting face of the striker in the pathway of the latch bolt whereby in the closing of the door the latch bolt rides over and depresses the plunger until the bolt clears the plunger whereupon the plunger is free to project behind and interengage the bolt.

5. A striker for a latch bolt comprising a plate having a base face and a face at an acute angle thereto along which the bolt rides in the closing of the door, a safety catch in the form of a plunger, a coil spring for projecting the said plunger, an opening extending inwardly from the bolt contacting face of the striker with its axis positioned at an acute angle to the base face of the striker and with the inner end of the opening disposed toward the closing direction of the door and serving as a rectilinear guideway for the plunger, and a recess in the inner end of said plunger and a plate-for closing the inner end of said inclined opening, the said plate having a lug over which one end of the coil spring is fitted, the other end of the coil spring being seated in the said plunger whereby the said plate serves to retain the plunger andspring within the inclined opening, said safetycatch when fully prgje'cted extending beyond the bolt contacting fa e of the striker in the pathway of the latch b 1 whereby in the closing of the door the latch bolt rides over and depresses the plunger until the bolt clears the plunger whereupon the plunger is free to project behind and interengage the bolt.

6. A striker for a latch bolt comprising a plate having a base face and a face at an acute angle thereto along which the bolt rides in the closing of the door, a safety catch in the form of a plunger mounted for reciprocation entirely within the striker with its axis positioned at an acute angle to said base face and with the inner end of the plunger disposed toward the closing direction of the door, said safety catch when fully projected having a portion extending beyond the bolt contacting face of the striker in the pathway of the. latch bolt whereby in the closing of the door the latch bolt rides over and depresses the plunger until the bolt clears the plunger whereupon the, projecting portion of the plunger is free to project behind and interengage the bolt.

'7. A striker for a latch bolt comprising a plate having a base face and a face at an acute angle thereto along which the bolt rides in the closing of the door, a safety catch in the form of a plunger, a spring for projecting the plunger, an opening in the plate extending inwardly from the bolt contacting face of the striker with its axis positioned at an acute angle to the base face of the striker and with the inner end of the opening disposed toward the closing direction of the door and serving as a rectilinear guideway for the said plunger, and means for retaining the spring and plunger in the said opening between the base face and the bolt contacting face of the striker whereby in the closing of the door as the latch bolt rides over and depresses and then releases the plunger, 65

the plunger is free to reciprocate in the said opening only between the base face and the bolt contacting face of the striker.

- LLOYD R. RHEIN. 

